Commander Community Spotlight: Daretti_IRL AKA MikeTheQuad
As we wrap up Disability Pride Month, we want to spotlight a member of the Magic community who makes disability advocacy a central piece of his online content.
July is Disability Pride Month. Many invisible aspects of our living and working environments make it difficult for those with disabilities to navigate life in an abled-centric world. It was barely four decades ago that the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in the United States. We want to celebrate those critical victories, while continuing to strive for equality and accessibility in all forms everywhere we can.
To that end, I sat down with Mike, also known as Daretti_IRL or MikeTheQuad, who is a C6 quadriplegic, advocate for inclusive design in gaming, content creator, and big fan of Commander. Mike is a really lovely guy, and I’d highly recommend checking out his content if you’re interested in hearing about the perspective of disabled individuals especially as it relates to gaming. This was especially exciting for me, as I’ve never had the chance to interview someone you can actually Google before.
Mike’s story is nothing short of inspirational. He was in a motorcycle accident in 2011 and received a C6 spinal cord injury — damage to the sixth cervical vertebra located at the base of the neck, which generally results in quadriplegia, with sensation and motor control severely reduced or lost beneath the ribs. But Mike didn’t let this injury prevent him from playing the video games he loved. Though he had no use of his hands, he discovered adaptive equipment designed to allow disabled individuals to play video games, and began streaming under the moniker MikeTheQuad. The Xbox Adaptive Controller is his primary control surface of choice for its customizability and modularity.
Mike makes use of multiple camera angles to highlight how inclusive designs allow for a better gameplay experience for those with disabilities, and his Twitch channel is, as a result, educational and highly entertaining. Watching him play Apex Legends has made me somewhat ashamed of ever blaming my controller or input difficulties for…well, anything.
Today, though, I’m here to highlight what Mike has done for the wider Magic community, not marvel at his third-partying skills. Of his experience as a Magic player, Mike referred to his difficulties candidly: “I have very little hand dexterity, and I perceived that a card game like Magic would be too challenging to play in person.” It’s easy for abled individuals to take something as simple as holding cards for granted. As with everything that came before, though, Mike didn’t let a little difficulty stop him:
“...fortunately, applying the problem-solving mindset I gained from adaptive video gaming, it became an obstacle to easily overcome. I found tools to hold my decks and developed techniques to allow me to focus on the game itself, rather than the non-game mechanics like manipulating the cards and using accessories like dice and counters.”
Even at its most basic forms, Magic is a game that requires a variety of assisting pieces, like Mike mentioned, and Commander is so much more complicated than most sealed or 60-card formats. Anyone who’s ever played a Cathar’s Crusade will know just how aggravating it can be fishing dice out of a bag, finding the correct number on a dozen faces, and plopping dice down only to reorient the four more times in a row right after that. I can’t even begin to imagine what that experience would be like for a disabled individual.
It isn’t all challenges, though, per Mike’s outlook on the game’s community aspects: “Disability surprisingly has been a positive asset when it comes to Magic as a social game. The reason I decided to play was due to friends who also had some sort of disability [...] a huge part of the overall community is inclusive and compassionate to allow grace and patience when I’m presented with challenges due to my disability.”
That’s one of the beautiful things about sharing a community with other gamers — not everyone speaks it the same, but Magic is a shared language for all of us, no matter the different experiences we all have.
When asked about the most important components of an inclusive and accessible space for disabled Magic players, Mike emphasized the social contract: “Rule 0 talks are a great opportunity to introduce [yourself] to new people. As a person with a disability that is present during gameplay, I believe that disclosing your disability in order for the pod to understand why turns will look different or take a certain amount of time is important, but it must be followed with solutions and ways they could help if needed.” One thing to remember is that disabled individuals have their own autonomy too. Just because they may have a different way of doing things doesn’t mean they always need help, but politely offering is never a bad thing.
Mike is a big proponent of education about disability as well. He said that the willingness to learn about a situation different from your own is one of the best things an abled person can offer. “Transparency can help ease a new situation others have never had to experience. For me, I’m an open book and willing to talk about what challenges me and also allow the pod to help when I ask for it.”
As for his fellow disabled Magic players of the world, Mike had optimistic advice. “I’m fortunate that my LGS is helpful and offers help if needed. It’s comforting that the patrons at the shop reflect the same gesture. Find a shop and have an in-person discussion on a day where the shop has low traffic. See if there’s willingness to accommodate within reason and let them know where you’re at in interest in playing Magic.”
Mike continuously seeks to make himself a resource to anyone who struggles with navigating the complex social situations of Magic with a disability. “Hit me up! My DMs are open, and the online community I’m in is more than willing to help anyone out that’s interested in playing.” Personally, I’m proud to be a part of a game community that includes people regardless of their background. Magic is a game for anyone to play, and Commander specifically is a unique form of self expression. Getting the chance to see the individual expressions of other players is a beautiful thing.
Mike left me with something that I definitely want to see more of in the community as a whole. “I understand it’s a high anxiety situation to present yourself as a new player and have your disability as the topic of discussion. But the more others are [aware], the better informed everyone can be in order to be inclusive and foster a better environment for everyone! When everyone can play, we all win!”
I guess we just shouldn’t tell him about stax players.
Big thanks to Daretti_IRL, AKA MikeTheQuad, for allowing us to sit down with him for a chat. Check out his website, Twitch, YouTube, or Instagram!
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